Addition of organocuprates, generated in situ using an excess of a 1:2 mixture of CuI·DMS and Grignard reagent, to N-enoyl oxazolidinethiones in the presence of excess TMSI gave preferentially the anti diastereomer where the addition took place when the conformation of the substrate was syn-s-cis. The reaction was investigated with indene-based and three different phenyl glycine derived oxazolidinethiones.

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The ability of α-diazo-β-ketoesters bearing a substituent on the benzylic position to undergo aromatic C-H insertion is described. Good to excellent yields of the aromatic C-H insertion products were observed with Rh(2)(tpa)(4) or Rh(2)(esp)(2) catalysts. This is an attractive strategy to prepare tetralins carrying a methyl group on the benzylic position, a structural motif found in several types of natural products.